Many Brits will have fond memories of chowing down on bowlfuls of deliciously sweet trifle at Christmas. The combination of moist, boozy sponge, creamy custard, rich fruit and pillowy soft cream is sacred and shouldn't be messed with.
The multilayered dessert is a true British classic. Who would want to to tamper with it anyway?
Heston Blumenthal, that's who.
The Michelin-starred chef, known for pushing boundaries with his unusual flavour combinations (snail porridge, anyone?), has created a – wait for it – bacon and banana trifle for his Waitrose Christmas range.
Admittedly, his mega-popular "hidden orange" Christmas pudding is heavenly, and his Earl Grey stollen is exquisite. But this latest creation may just be a step too far.
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The new trifle includes a caramelised banana compote topped with rum-soaked chocolate sponge, a layer of salted caramel sauce, chocolate shavings, a creamy vanilla custard (so far so good), but then – a smoky bacon flavoured cream, reported The Guardian.
It's then topped with gold cocoa nib sprinkles and comes with a sachet of bacon pieces for customers to add themselves.
Blumenthal said he was inspired by fond memories of enjoying bacon and banana sandwiches during the school holidays as a child. “I loved how you wouldn’t normally think of putting those two flavours together but they just worked so well,” he said.
“I can’t wait to hear about people’s reactions when they see and taste this fantastic dessert at their Christmas dinner table – it’ll definitely be a talking point.”
That's for sure.
The trifle will launch in Waitrose shops this week as part of a meal deal, costing £3.99 for a pack of mini trifles – to allow customers to sample it (wise) – before a larger £12.99 version becomes available.
While we doubt it'll ever replace the real thing, bacon and banana trifle doesn't sound quite as revolting as Rachel Green's English trifle-cum-shepherd's pie popularised in Friends.
Heck, we're not ones for turning our noses up at unusual flavour combinations either, so we might just give it a try if we're feeling brave enough on Boxing Day.